Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-18

thing you know Johnny will Be walk
ing right into your foreman's shoes.
This was getting ''clean down to the
saw, and the foren.an's face showed
that it 'hurt like fun" He hissed.
ia :. .scha! Them are some O! the
drawing teachers s draughts he's hook
ed, an he's tetcht 'enl here to pass 'em
OF for his own" ....>s- L. ':.s.$5
Johnny felt good. 4 You could see
that in his eyes. But he didn't let on
8 word. He never did have much to
say, he was the least given to brag ol
any man I ever saw. -5 zss
After that we saw no more OF John.
ny's drawings. Learned, though, that
he was putting in his best licks to
make himself perfect as. practical
draughtsman, under a first. class draw.
ingteacher. &'@ T'' E.'sr' ..-..... a.
This was partly tho eye-opening in
the way OF astonishment George Fanch
had said there would be, in regard to
Johns progress. It was nothing to
what loomed six months afterwards,
however. About that time it got out,
somehow, that a Mr.. Leperre, who
had just fitted up IN establishment
like ours in another city, was ON the
lookout for q foreman, and would
pay atip-top salary for the right man.
He was to inspect our factory in a
day or two, anxious to secure the
services Of an experienced hand.
AS the saying is, this set us all "by
the ears" Not one who did not hope
to be the lucky one picked out, and
secretly resolved to try every possible
scheme to bring it about. Three OF
the men paid the gentleman a visit at
his hotel, thinking to steal a march
ON the rest. It didn't do 'em g. mite
OF good, though. Mr.. Leperre said he
would not make any decision until he
had gone through h the shop.
The only one not worked up on the
matter was Johnny. OF course, there
was no show for him, as he couldn't be
in the count, nohow. He hadn't had
the experience. Not one OF us ever so
much as thought to figure on his hav.
ing a chance, nor did he< himself, as
gathered from what he let out when I
spoke to him abo ut it. Even when we
saw Mr.. Laperre talking quite a good
ish bit with him, we didn't mix him
up in the matter.
But Johnny got the position. Bless
ed if he wasn't hired at salary of a
thousand dollars a. year for a starter.
Never saw such a row as it made.
"Weli," says one. "that licks me!'
And another fired off the mean shot:
IA fool for luck every time!"
AS for Borlag, he pretty nigh frothed
at the mouth. He seemed to be CON-
pletely dazed. Couldn't make it out.
All he could do was to gasp
"Oh h.! That mullethead fore
man? Wait till he undertakes to lay
out a. job. I'll bet drinks for the
crowd he'll be kicked out OF the shop
in less than q month";
"And you'd get badly left, Borlag," "
way OF speaking. "Do you know
what the gentleman told Whitbeck?
He said Johnny was the most intelli-
gent workman he ever met"
This gave the foreman such a wrench
he soaked himself full of beer that
night and slept in the station house.
And after that he was more bitter
than ever against Johnny, and con-
stant in his assurance that the 'mul-
let headed fool" would soon be thrown
out OF O. situation into the street.
"One thing is dead sure" he added;
"he,ll never be allowed to shove his
nose in this factory again."
10 his utter rastonishment, however,
and for that matter the astonishment
OF the whole of us, in less than three
months it came out that an entirely
new design, with a patent arrange
ment OF great value, the work of John
ny, had been placed on the market
by the new firm, and was selling like
hot cakes"
So said Whitbeck. He intimated,
farther, that it was bad thing for
our establishment, as the new instru-
menr was proving very popular, and
might materially injure his own line
of sales.
One of the new instruments was
purchased as quickly as possible and
set down in the workshop for inspec-
tion.
Right away Borlag said it didn't
amount to shucks.
"I'll give you $500 if you'll get one
out to beat it," said Whitbeck.
'Do it easy" was the brag of the
foreman. aud with g. great flourish he
went to work at the draughting board.
He made dead null of it. The min.
ute boss Whitbeck looked at his draw.
ing he told him it wasn't fit to be men
toned the same year by the side Of
Johnny's.
This made the foreman so mad he
filled up with beer again, and paid S.
and costs in Police Court next morn.
ing.
Straight along things got worse.
Johnny's instrument was carrying all
before it. Something had to be done
to save our trade. Whitbeck started
of at last to see If he couldn't buy the
right to use the new design.
He brought back our old mullet-
head instead. I never saw men SO
beat as we were when Johnny walked
into the shop and held out his hand
to greet his old work-mates, looking
like one OF the first gentlemen.
Hyou'd only seen the way Borlae
hung down his head and held out his
hand to meet Johnny's, just as if it
was a. snake he was afraid was going
to bite HIM. Johnny shook it as
hearty as the rest. There never was
a. mite of malice in Johnny.
But his coming back wasn't hall the
wonder of it. Blessed if Whitbeck
didn't introduce him as his partner
It was the most stunning thing / eve,
knew. Itmade us gasp for breath. In
less than a month there was a brand
new gilt-lettered sign put up in front
OF the factory-:'Whitbeck & Lieben'
thal!' ":." ~. ,>
The fact was, Johnny got q half IN
terest on the strength OF his new de
sign and the patent, Yes, by Jupiter